A Design-Based Research Approach to Refining Pedagogy in Engineering Economics Online Learning

Abstract

With the implementation of technology in education, educators accept responsibly for ensuring new approaches and tools add value to students' learning. In this study, we continue to follow a series of design-based research macrocycles 1,2 to monitor the impact of specific technology solutions implemented in a large Engineering Economics course and their perceived usefulness and value to students. Baseline findings indicated that value and usefulness of Reading assignments, the primary source of content in the digital text, was limited. Since then modifications to both the course assessment structure for reading assignments and digital text itself were implemented. This paper presents research findings from an online approach to instruction deployed in a large Engineering Economics course. The course offered students a choice of learning resources including online resources, optional classroom activities, and multiple support resources. While a variety of resources were offered, about 90% of students chose to forgo the "in person" options and interacted solely with the online content. Consequently, the value and usefulness of online content is of primary significance. The online content consisted of resources in a learning management system as well as a subject-specific online learning environment, WileyPLUS. A previous study focused on the students' perceived usefulness, value, and overall impact on their learning of the WileyPLUS tools and their predictive power on students' overall course performance. This previous research highlighted that the value and usefulness measures associated with WileyPLUS readings were not statistically significant predictors of perceived impact. To address these findings, major enhancements to the reading tools were implemented, and associated impact on usage and value were quantified. Further, as student preferences trend away from student -teacher interaction in favor of increased student -content interaction in the online environment, profiles of usage and value of the buffet of tools were analyzed. Motivation of the Study

A Thesis-based Option for Enhancing Pedagogy in Engineering Economy at the Graduate Level

“…Case studies are rarely used (less than 18% of the faculty surveyed utilized case studies) in the teaching tool box [9] - [11] even though case studies allow students to gain insight into the theoretical principles being presented in the class room via their practical applications described in the case studies. Curriculum enrichment has also been attempted via instructional videos [12], additional readings and writing research papers [13] and design based problem solving approach [14].…”